Chemically Fixed Daydreams
by Erumurus Aster Bunnymund
Summary: AU. He is a thirteen-year-old boy diagnosed with cancer. He wants to live a longer life, a happier life. But he knows that there is nothing more to be done. So he wastes away in the hospital bed and thinks, instead, of a different world where he's no longer alone and dying, a world where he is powerful and immortal. A world of dreams. This, is Jackson Overland's story.
1. Chapter 1

**Chemically Fixed Daydreams  
**_"The cost of oblivious daydreaming was always this moment of return, the realignment with what had been before and now seemed a little worse. "  
_― **Ian McEwan****, **_**Atonement**_

**Chapter I**

The first time Jack ever goes to a hospital, he is with his family. His older sister holds his right hand, smiling down at him, pointing out random things Jack didn't care about at the age of thirteen. His mother holds his other hand, her grip anxious as she kept her brown eyes trained towards her husband who was talking with the nurse about their family doctor-

"-Pitchiner. Is Dr. Kozmotis Pitchiner in?" Jack could hear his dad inquire. The man's face was pale and worried as he talks with the nurse and basically Jack's really just too tired to eavesdrop on the lady nurse and his father.

They were led to a small, cool office- Jack decided he likes this office- with a mahogany desk, not too-big windows, random instruments about, a comfy looking chair behind the desk and a golden plate with the name his dad inquired about earlier.

Kozmotis Pitchiner is a quiet, stiff man. Eyes sharp and golden, tall and imposing in Jack's opinion, and it takes all of his patience not to flinch at the cold and firm grasp the man had on his wrist, and Jack looks up and _glares_ because he did not like this man. He did not like the way the other gives him a sad little smile, the way the golden eyes stares deeply into his own as though gouging out his soul-

Jack decided he _hates_ Dr. Pitchiner and his quaint little office. Hates him for suddenly saying things Jack did not understand, hates him for suddenly making his sister go pale with a few words, for making his mom cry as he explained, and for making his dad look like he didn't want to come home anymore.

Jack decides he hates Dr. Pitchiner because he did not understand why the man and his family suddenly turn to him like that, their eyes going wide.

Jack hates Dr. Pitchiner and for good measure, the hospital too.

He does not want to come back again.

* * *

The second time Jack goes to the hospital, his father didn't come with them anymore. His mom says it's because his dad was working hard on something- Jack just stops listening there. He's more tired than before. It's just been a week since his last visit to the hospital and he has been going to school for the past week. Ms. Tooth, his kind teacher who wanted to be a dentist, was worried for him because he looked paler, and Jack had to promise her that he'll go and get another check up at the hospital.

Jack does not explain why it has to be at a hospital.

"He isn't eating well?" Dr. Pitchiner ask and Jack bites his lip as the older man takes his thin arms into his hands and examines him, tutting his tongue as though it displeases him to see Jack so thin and pale. Just like Hansel and Gretel's witch who ate little children. "We can strap him into an IV, have him confined in the hospital until further notice-"

"NO!" Jack speaks up for the first time and pulls away. He surprises his mother while his sister places a hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him. "I-I have school tomorrow. I promised Ms. Tooth I'd show up and Jamie and I were going to- to feed the class pet-"

"And I'm sure that would've been very nice. But the hospital's priority is your health. You should do as the doctor advices." The doctor says in a cool tone and Jack glares at the man. He reminds Jack of what he fears and hates, the _bogeyman_ that lures children into a trap-

"Doc, if it's okay with you. We'll take Jack home for now." His sister speaks up and Jack looks up in adoration as his big sister winks down at him. "We'll take him back to the hospital if anymore symptoms come up. For now, I think it's for the best if he continues his daily routine, right?"

Pitchiner looks up, golden eyes calculating, and Jack has the urge to pull down his older sister and shield her from this boogeyman, but the doctor just waves a hand in nonchalance. "I will be waiting. But he is to immediately come back here if there's even a sign of fatigue."

"Yep!" Jack's sister says as she holds Jack's hand and smiles down at him. "Isn't that great Jack?" Nad Jack nods and laughs when he hears their mother sigh dramatically in the background. His sister ruffles his hair.

It's the last time Jack sees his sister smile.

* * *

"I'm sorry about your sister." No response as Pitchiner checks the charts and sighs. "I'm sure she's in a better place." Still nothing and Pitchiner looks at the small figure on the huge hospital bed, alone even in his private room.

This was understandable of course, the mother was mourning her eldest child who was in an accident last night. Pitch did not hear the full details: just that, it was a hit and run, and apparently the boy saw everything.

People died everyday, but it did not make it any less sad.

The old doctor sighed and he looked at his watch. It was his lunch break, he could spare a few minutes to keep the kid company while he was alone. He pulled up a guest chair and sat beside the small boy. He was thirteen, but he looked younger with the oversized hospital clothes around his thin figure and his brown hair unruly and framing his big brown eyes as he looked outside.

"Jack, that is your name right? It's short for Jackson?" Pitch tries to strike up a conversation. The boy says nothing and continues to look outside. "Jack, are you alright? Do you want anything? Some hot chocolate or-"

"Dad's name is short for 'man in the moon'." Jack suddenly speaks and Pitch's eyebrows rose.

"Pardon?"

"Dad's name's Manny. It's short for Man in the Moon." Jack continues as he looked outside, eyes unseeing lips forming a frown. "He doesn't talk much. The last time he spoke to me, he only says two words 'Jack Frost'. He was reading one of my sister's poems. She had a habit of making poems about me and Jack Frost because we had the same first name. She thought I was like him, we both liked pulling pranks."

"Jack-"

"Man in the Moon looks over the children from the sky. He doesn't say much but he's there." Jack continues to talk, still looking out of the window.

"Is that a story you play with your friends in school?" Pitch asks quietly and Jack turns to him with a small smile.

"Jamie helps me come up with it." Jack says simply as he lies down on his bed finally. "I miss my friends." He closes his eyes and says no more.

And Pitch knows, that this was Jack's way of saying that he was dismissed.

* * *

Jack isn't allowed to go home anymore.

His mother came in a few days after his sister's accident. She tells him that he can't go home anymore and that he had to stay here if he wanted to get better. Jack asks about his father but his mom says he is only too busy to visit. She explains that she too wouldn't be able to visit often.

She had to prepare for her daughter's funeral.

And she leaves Jack alone under the care of the _bogeyman_.

Pitchiner is a busy doctor, he is a family doctor to several patients. He only comes in to check on Jack and to show him the list of what he should eat. Sometimes the nurses brought Jack food, but Jack preferred to get food for himself from the cafeteria. He sometimes met interesting patient the same age as him and when they were feeling well, he'd invite them to play.

So here he was, walking towards the hospital's cafeteria. He was dragging his IV along with him like the other patients out for a walk, as he looked around for anyone to play with.

That's when he bumps into someone.

"Oi! Watch where yer goin' little ankle-biter!" Jack looks up startled and meets a pair of angry green eyes. He was an older man with an impressive tan, wearing a funny looking hat, some cargo pants, and a green navy shirt with sloppily printed kangaroos on the front.

Clearly a foreigner in Jack's small town.

"Yeh ain't gonna apologize you bloody show pony?" The old man huffed and Jack frowned up at the other.

"For what? You bumped into _me_!" Jack says in an indignant voice and the Australian-sounding man rolled his eyes as he gestured to his shirt. Jack looked and noticed that it had some unwanted red stains on it. The foreigner man seemed to have been carrying a plate of spaghetti, but the impact had it flying back to his shirt.

"Not my fault." Jack says stubbornly and the man scowls as Jack turns to drag himself back to his room.

Instead of finding a new friend, it seemed like Jack found an enemy.

* * *

The next time Jack comes out of his room, he bumps into a lost, sleepy-looking man.

The other man was wearing the same customary hospital get-up he was, meaning he was also a confined patient like Jack was.

"Hello." Jack says, eager to finally talk and befriend a patient from this hospital he hates so much. "Are you lost?"

The strange small man nods his head instead of answering Jack. And he holds up his finger as he mimed the numbers three, zero, and one.

"Three, zero, one? Three hundred one?" Jack asks and the other man with blonde hair and golden eyes nodded. "Oh! It's your room right? That's really close to mine. It's this way!"

Thanks to the situation, Jack had finally managed to strike up an unlikely friendship with this small blonde man who seemed to be somewhat of a foreigner as well.

After helping the older patient find his room, the other took a sketchpad and began to write down his name, introducing himself as 'Sandy'.

"Sandy, it's nice to meet you Sandy!" Jack says happily. It's the first time in a while since he's finally had a decent, although somewhat one-sided, conversation with another person. "I'm Jack! Jack Frost!"

The small man tilts his head as he wrote, _Jack Frost?_

The small kid flushes in guilt, "Actually it's Jackson Overland but I prefer _Jack Frost_. He's so much cooler than Jackson Overland!"

The other patient smiles as he writes, _But I like Jackson Overland_.

Jack flushes and scratches his nose. "Well, you're the first. Jackson Overland is sickly and thin and really no fun." He says as he crosses his arms.

Sandy chuckles at that as he writes, _I'm sure that's not true. Does Jackson Overland have a sibling?_

Jack deflates, "Yes."

Sandy cocks his head in worry, _I'm sorry did I say something wrong?_

"No. It's just- _Jack Frost _really is so much cooler after all." Jack says as he tried to get back his old spirit. He grinned as he talkS, "Jack Frost has a sibling too! Jack Frost is seventeen and he has a little sister called Pippa, who he protects with everything he has!"

Jack spends that day filling his new friend in with information of _Jack Frost_, the amazing mythical being who was immortal, could fly, and always had fun as Sandy listened attentively to the strangely energetic boy until his friends and family came to visit him and Jack had to leave.

Jack didn't have much at the moment. He didn't have parents who stayed by his side as he slept. He no longer had a sister who would soothe him and tell stories to him and all his friends were in school with Ms. Tooth.

Jack had nothing but Jack wished he had everything.

So instead, Jack tells Sandy of the ways he wanted life to be.

* * *

Jack had seen it so many times already on television. People who had their heads shaved for various reasons. Some because they had to go to military school, others because it was in style, and in some cases, because they were very, _very_ sick.

It was busy day for Jack. He hadn't seen his dad even once, although Dr. Pitchiner told him that he came a few times to ask about his tests. Jack hated Dr. Pitchiner even more for not telling or waking Jack up whenever his dad would come to his room.

Jack had been undergoing many tests recently. Today he was going to start on one that was called 'chemotherapy', something about destroying cells- Jack hadn't been listening. He never listened besides, what was the use of having parents? They're supposed to be there to listen for you when you couldn't. But Jack's parents weren't there when Dr. Pitchiner explained to him about 'chemo' and Jack focused more on the fact that no one was there to hold his hand as he went through these tests.

"You'll go bald in ten to fourteen days." This information had at least caught Jack's attention. "Some patients would rather have their hair shaven immediately but it's still up to you." Dr. Pitchiner says as he looked at Jack who looked up at those words.

"I'll think about it." Was all Jack could say before Dr. Pitchiner turned to leave his room.

"Oh. By the way, a man is going to go around giving gifts several days from now for Christmas." Dr. Pitchiner stated as he adjusted the glasses on the bridge of his nose. "Don't wandering off or you won't get any presents."

Jack nods absently but he was already planning his latest rendezvous with his new friend Sandy, who was to stay at least a few more weeks in the hospital with him. Pitch shook his head as though he could read what the other was thinking, and the old doctor turned to leave…

…Leaving Jack alone in his room once more.

* * *

The rate at which Jack was losing his appetite was alarming.

The other still opted to going to the cafeteria by himself, IV still in tow rather than having the nurse bring him anything, but whenever Jack would arrive in front of the cafeteria counter, he'd ended up just taking a slice of an apple or a small banana for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

He'd sit on one of the cafeteria tables and just stare at the fruit, frowning. Sometimes he'd had a craving for something –spaghetti, ham, fish – but then all of a sudden he didn't feel like eating anymore. He was getting thinner and thinner, and he knew if he's sister could see him now, she'd cluck her tongue disapprovingly at him.

"Looks like you haven't had any arvo yet, ankle-biter." An Australian tone suddenly caught Jack's ear as he looked up, stunned. Jack scowled at the man who was surveying him with bright green eyes. "Ya don't look like yer happy to see me."

"We didn't exactly become friends last time." Jack huffs and the Aussie sighed as he took off his hat. The hair under there an exotic color of gray and white which could only be hair dye.

"Yeh have some little temper for an ankle-biter dontcha?" The older man says as he placed his hat on the table.

"That's bad manners." Jack points out.

The tanned man raises an eyebrow, "So is being angry with your senior, but I ain't calling you out on that now, am I?"

Jack frowns and the older Aussie huffed in annoyance at the kid's stubbornness. So he shoves a hand into his pocket and pulled out an impressive looking chocolate bar and tosses it to the other, "Here."

Jack catches it slumsily with his fingers and he looks at Bunny warily, "This is?"

"A token of our friendship." The older man stated with a shrug. "Made that chocolate meself, been in the family recipes since the '68. It's good quality chocolate."

Jack looked down at the piece of sweet. "My mom told me never to accept anything from strangers."

"This is the second time we met, yeh ain't a stranger to me. Seen you a couple of times already." The tanned man says. "Besides, I didn't put any poison on that."

Jack's brown eyes narrowed. "You sure?"

"As sure as Bob's yer uncle." The Aussie winked and Jack had to smile at that before he tore the wrapper and took a bite. The man chuckled as Jack devoured the chocolate. "Taste any good?"

Jack's eyes twinkled as he grinned, chocolate stuck to his front teeth, "The best!"

And the man in his old kangaroo t-shirts ruffled the boy's hair affectionately. "Good to hear."

* * *

"It's falling out." Jack says quietly as he pinched thick strands of hair from his head and they easily come off at the force.

"I told you it would." Pitch says as he writes down on his clipboard. He looks at the bed and sees clumps of brown hair on the pillow. Jack's nose is wrinkled as he reaches up to run his hand through his once thick hair one more time. "I could have the nurse shave it off."

"I don't wanna end up bald." Jack says and Pitch finishes whatever he has written down to face the child patient.

"It wouldn't matter to us if you had your head shaved. There are plenty of other people without any hair." Dr. Pitchiner says expertly and Jack frowns.

"I'm thirteen." And Pitch nods at that.

"Your hair will grow back." He tells the other and Jack looks out the window.

"When?"

"Once we finish with the chemotherapy." Pitch says logically.

"And when will that be?"

"When you're cured."

"When will I be cured?"

"We're working on it." Pitch says, because he knows better than to give false hope.

There was silence in the room as Jack continues to look out of the window. He looked thinner than when he first came in here, dark bags were under his eyes as though he hadn't been sleeping well for the past week.

It killed Pitch, to see someone so young, to see one of his patients undergo such life-changing events with no one beside him.

"I have to go and check on your results from the lab. Do you need anything? A glass of water or more pillows?" Pitch asks as he stood up.

"Just don't turn the lights off." Jack says quietly as he laid back down onto the bed.

Pitch allowed himself to be enamored by this request. "Why?"

"I just don't like the dark."

* * *

**Information: **Sandy's in the hospital because he was in an accident that crushed his vocal chords. His doctor is the same with Jack's: _Dr. Pitchiner_.

Dr. Pitchiner had a daughter named _Serpahina_.

Manny's full name is _William Manfred Overland_.

Aster Bunnymund is an artist, he likes gardening, and he also helps in his family's chocolate confectionary. He is in the hospital for art purposes. He has gotten permission from an old friend of his family's to visit the hospital so that he could get proper inspiration for his arts and illustrations, as he is trying to make an illustration for a children's book.

_Chemotherapy_, I haven't really done an in depth research on this but it _is_ a big deal to have your head shaved. I got the small information I have on _cancer _and _chemo_ from google by typing these two keywords.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chemically Fixed Daydreams  
**_"You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough."  
_― **Mae West**

**Chapter II**

By the time the man who goes around giving gifts arrive, Jack is overcome with unexplainable fatigue.

He had heard the excited chatter from the kids and Jack had wanted to go to Sandy's room and talk to him about the strange man that was going around pretending to be Santa Claus.

But before Jack could even make to room three hundred and one, he was suddenly over come with nausea and it wasn't long before he found himself sitting on the hallways, leaning against the white walls of the hospital.

Jack was no fool when it came to his symptoms. He had been listening to Dr. Pitchiner as he talked about his sickness more and more. This nausea he felt was normal for his sickness and the doctor had told him that if he ever felt tired, resting wouldn't do him any good because it wouldn't get better. Jack would get more and more tired until he couldn't find the strength in him to get up anymore.

Honestly, that alone, terrified Jack. The fact that one day he would wake up and wouldn't be able to get up and visit Sandy anymore or the day he wouldn't be able to go to the cafeteria to see the strange Aussie who gave him delicious chocolates.

Jack was scared. He was thirteen and he was young and he wanted to go back to school and play pretend with Jamie or else see Ms. Tooth smile and scold him about his teeth or else hug his dad and hear him say something other than just his name or see his mom and hug her and tell her how much he loved his sister and how he wished he protected her instead of the other way around.

And that was how the man pretending to be Santa found him.

He was a bald little kid, crying on the white hallways of the hospital, too tired to stand and go to his friend's room and too scared to call out for help as he was faced by the seriousness of his situation.

He wanted to laugh and grin and pretend that everything was okay, that Dr. Pitchiner was going to find a way for Jack to get better-

But Jack knew his body better than anyone. And already he could feel himself slowly giving up the fight to live.

The countdown had already begun.

* * *

His name was Nicholas North and he introduced himself to Jack as Santa Claus, something Jack found totally believable.

Even without the red suit and the sack, Nick was a jolly old man with rose cheek, blue eyes, and he had a thick mane of white hair just like Santa. He laughed in a booming laughter that was very contagious as Jack learned when he found himself laughing with the old man as he gave him a huge present.

"I heard you have been a very good boy, Jack. I bought you big present for being good." North says in a loud voice as Jack grinned up at the other.

"Wow, after being in the naughty list for three hundred years, finally getting a present would be nice." Jack joked as he explained to North about his playing pretend with one of his friends from school, Jamie.

"Oho! That is very interesting story!" North says in a jolly laugh as he patted the bald kid on the head. "It will be a very popular story if it becomes a book! Kids will love it! Even in my mother country, Russia, kids will love it!"

"Santa's Russian?" Jack asks jokingly and North laughed.

"Yes! Santa's a very proud Russian with amazing twin swords that can bring bad people to justice!" North played a long as Jack listened attentively. As the two talk, there was a small knock on the door. North stood up to get it and he was surprised to see a small man peek inside.

"Sandy!" Jack says happily and the small man turned to Jack with a ready smile. However Sandy exclaimed silently in surprise as he pointed at Jack's head. North watches the two curiously.

Jack's smile became a bit forced but he nodded. "Yeah, I-I had it shaved. Dr. Pitchiner did it for me."

Sandy nodded as he wrote on his pad and held it up. _Are you alright?_

And Jack just smiled, his hands tightening around his blankets. "I am now."

And no one asks him again after that.

* * *

A few days after Christmas, Jack receives a surprise.

Sandy was visiting Jack in his room this time. He told the other boy that he preferred it if Jack rested up, as he could see how tiring it was for the other boy to even get up to go to the bathroom. So instead of Jack going to Sandy's room, they decided to switch up the routine a bit this time.

Jack was telling Sandy about his dream last night, about the Sandman and Jack Frost playing around with ice and sand- when there was a knock on Jack's door.

"Jack," Dr. Pitchiner looks inside as he spoke. "Oh, hello there Sanderson." The small man waved a hand, Pitchiner was also Sandy's doctor which was how Pitchiner knew where to check for Jack and Sandy when they weren't in their respective rooms. "Jack, your teacher is here to visit you."

"My teacher-?" Jack says just as the door flew open and young woman in her twenties entered.

"Jack!" She calls out as she runs to the boy's side and brown eyes widened as he was suddenly scooped into an embrace.

"M-Miss Tooth-?"

"Oh Jack! I received the letter from your father telling me you're dropping out of school! It's been months and I never had time to visit! I thought everything was fine as long as you were still enrolled but then-!" Tooth continued to cry onto the young child's shoulder. "Baby and Jamie are asking about you everyday! And I didn't know what to say and I didn't want to worry them-! Oh we miss you Jack! We miss you so much!"

"Miss Tooth…" Jack says, not knowing what to do as his teacher continued to hug him. He could feel his eyes burn as he took in the familiar scent of lavenders from his teacher, reminding him of his second home, the old school near his block, afternoons and mornings he spent with his best friends, the homeworks and projects-

"My dad's dropping me out of school?" Jack whispered and then suddenly Tooth let him go as she looked at him. He heard her gasp as she took in his frail form and bald head. He could see those amethyst eyes scrutinize his pallor and dead brown eyes.

"Jack y-your hair- and-!" Tooth says as she let her fingers run across Jack's face, her gazing searching and so, _so_ worried.

"My dad's dropping me out of school?" Jack asks again and this time firmly and Tooth dropped her hands ashamed as she nodded her head.

"We think it's because he's going to transfer you to a different hospital…" Tooth whispers. "But then you're still here, so maybe he's just unsure on when you're coming back-"

Jack tries very hard not catch the eye of Dr. Pitchiner.

"Anyway, t-the kids made you some get well cards. The nursery and kindergarten class made some as well. They really liked playing with you and they wanted you to come back soon." Tooth says as she reaches for her handbag and out came different colored and glittered cards in zip lock bags.

"Thank you, miss Tooth." Jack says with a smile as he accepts the cards. "How are Jamie and Baby?"

"They wanted to come and see you for themselves but their families are off on separate vacations. I stayed behind to give you their cards and their well wishes." Tooth says as she sniffed.

"Yeah. When you see them again, tell them I miss them for me." Jack says with a grin and Tooth nodded as she sniffles.

"Of course Jack. Of course."

* * *

"Why don't you like the dark?" Pitch asks one day as he went over his data and checked on Jack's status as he lied still on his bed.

"I'm scared of it." Jack says quietly, the former contempt in his voice whenever he spoke to Pitch, gone, replaced instead by tiredness. "I'm scared of what I'll find in it, where it'll lead me. I don't like not being able to see in the dark and it's lonely too."

Pitch put down his pen and he placed a hand in his pocket as he took out a small light fixture in shape of a snow globe and places it by the outlet next to Jack's bed. Jack turned to look, dark brows raised in surprise.

"It's my Christmas gift to you. It's a nightlight I saw by the store windows when I went shopping with my daughter." Pitch explains as he plugs in the snow globe. Inside the snow globe were the popular figures of a fairy, Santa, the Easter bunny, and even the Sandman. Pitch turns off the light and Jack watches in amazement as a soft lullaby began to go off and the figures inside danced as snow fell around them. "It'll help keep the darkness away."

"It's silly. I'm not a kid." Jack says as Pitch turned the lights back on and switched off the nightlight.

"Even adults need something to keep the darkness at bay." Pitch shrugs as he picked up his clipboard and pen and turned to leave.

* * *

"Crikey!" Jack turns a feverish head towards the door just as it opened. A familiar Aussie came in, frowning towards the nurses that were assembled outside. "I came here ta visit a friend, there's nothing wrong with that right?"

"Yes, but sir, outside food-"

"It's just chocolate! What had have you people got against chocolate?" The man huffs as he closed the door on their faces and turned to face Jack. "Honestly those people- Jack?"

"Hey Bunny man…" Jack grins and for a moment, the Australian just stood there speechless. He was wearing his usual Aussie hat, a pair of jeans and this time a red colored Kangaroo themed t shirt. In his pockets where the usual chocolate bars and in his hands were a bouquet of flowers Jack's never seen before.

"Crikey, I hardly recognized you." Aster Bunnymund, Jack's cafeteria friend says as he placed the bouquet by the kid's bedside. His dark brows were crinkled up and his green eyes lingered at the shaved head of the thirteen years old teen. "Yeh haven't been going to the cafeteria and I thought you were discharged but then I heard from that doctor you keep complanin' about- mention yeh and yer room and I had to come…"

"Aw, you do care." Jack coughs as he wheezes slightly. Bunny frowns at the weak voice.

"Yeh alright? Need me to call a doctor?" Aster asks and the kid shakes his head.

"Nah, this happens every other week now. I'm used to it. At least the painkiller's working…" Jack states in a small voice.

"Painkillers?" Aster repeats worriedly.

"Hey, hey Cottontail, calm down." Jack says with a pained smile. "It's _normal_."

"No matter what you say, it ain't normal mate." Bunny shakes his head. "I didn't know- thought you'd been discharged. I should've come sooner-"

"Don't beat yourself up for it, Bunny. Life's too short for regrets." Jack says in a quiet tone and the two fell into an awkward silence.

"I brought you some more chocolates- er, I mean if you're allowed 'em?" Bunny says eying the boy cautiously.

"Since when do we care if I'm allowed chocolates?" Jack says laughing as he reaches out a weak hand. "Give them here. They're good for me after all. Right Cottontail?"

The Aussie's lips twitches as he gave Jack a bar of chocolate. "So, why do you call me Cottontail?" The man asks, switching the subject.

"Hm? Aside from the obvious _Bunny_mund thing you got going on with your name? Well, your shirts are tacky and the kangaroos look like giant rabbits to me." Jack explains and the Australian laughs at that.

"Call me the Easter Bunny then." Aster says with a playful wink and Jack laughed at that. Green eyes soften at the laughing teen's display and the Aussie got up to place his flowers on the proper vase.

"So, the flowers, what kind are they?" Jack calls out as he chewed on the chocolate.

"White irises, breed them myself." Bunny replies as he fills the vase with tap water from the bathroom before unwrapping the flowers and placing them carefully inside.

"So you have a breed of flowers. I'd like to see that." Jack says out loud, it was strange that this awkward, grumpy Australian actually had a garden. It was weird to imagine and it was one of those things you had to see first to believe.

"When you get better I'll show you a garden full of the irises, how about that?" Bunny calls from the bathroom as he came out. Jack didn't answer and Aster notices that he was looking outside by the window in sad contemplation. "Jack?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll go see your garden when I'm better." Jack says and he slowly turns to give Bunny a smile. The old man's eyebrows crinkled at the slow reply but he shrugs, places the vase on the bed side table and pats the boy on the shoulder.

"I'm looking forward to it."

* * *

"The treatments aren't working."

It was the first time Jack sees his parents after weeks of their secret visits to him as he slept and this was the news they face together first as a family.

"W-What do you mean?" Jack can hear the frightened tone in his mother's tone and he sees at the corner of his eyes, his father's hand reaching out to entwine his mother's fingers with his.

Jack needed comfort too, but his father hadn't even given him a look when he entered.

"It's only a matter of time- a few weeks maybe. He won't last long." Dr. Pitchiner's voice is professional as though they weren't discussing the end of Jack's very short life in front of them. Jack's hates the indifference in his tone, it reminds him of how much he wasn't needed, of how much no one cares about his life.

"Is there anything we can do?" Manny says in a quiet tone and Jack wonders if he's only pretending to care. He hasn't been there for Jack at all, so he had to be pretending right?

"I have called past colleagues from different parts of the world, I owed you that much Manny." Pitchiner states quietly. "But the boy's cancer has progressed faster than we expected. If they will be able to make it before- before it's too late, I am not sure."

"Pippa, and- and now Jack. Why is this happening to us?" Jack hears his mother cries but Jack couldn't find it in himself to cry too. His eyes were too busy looking at the ground to really register any other emotion other than the numbness spreading through his fingers and through his body.

Jack only hears the scratching of the chairs against the floor, only feels the burning hug on his side and the reluctant pat on his shoulder as his parents turned to talk more with other doctors and to compare their opinions and advices-

"It's time to go." Dr. Pitchiner grabs him by the arm like that first time Jack goes to the hospital, only this time Jack does not fight his instinct to pull and run away.

He hates Dr. Pitchiner for making his mother cry, for making his dad looks so defeated…

He hates Dr. Pitchiner for showing him how insignificant he was and for knowing his fears…

He hates Dr. Pitchiner for telling him he had barely any life left to live.

But Jack hates himself even more, for being weak, boring, mortal _Jackson Overland_ instead of cool, fun loving, immortal _Jack Frost_.

* * *

**Author's notes: **This is a FILL on a prompt in ROTG KINK MEME which can be found in my profile.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chemically Fixed Daydreams  
**_"Have hope."  
_― **Sanderson Mansnoozie, **_CFD_

**Chapter III**

"-And Jack Frost along with the kids who can see him, face off against Pitch Black to save the world!" Jack says with a wide grin as his teacher laughs beside him.

"That's a really good story. I'm sorry Jamie isn't here to play it out with you-" Tooth began but Jack just shakes his head.

"It's fine, Sandy was here anyway." Jack said waving away his teacher's apology and Tooth's eyes softened.

"I see. Thank you for playing with Jack, Mr. Sandy." Tooth said and Sandy just waved off her thanks. She turns back to Jack, "And so Jack, have you been brushing your teeth regularly, like I told you?"

"Yes, Miss Tooth, I-" Jack rolled his eyes but then he was cut off when he began coughing hoarsely. Eyes widening in panic, Tooth shoots out of her chair, immediately rushing towards the pitcher and a glass while Sandy walked towards the boy's side and patted him on the back.

"Here, I have a glass of water. Drink up-" Tooth began to say but then her eyes widened when Jack suddenly reached out a hand towards her.

_CRASH!_

The glass break as it hit the floor and Jack and Sandy's eyes widened at it, but Tooth was too busy looking at Jack's mouth and hands to mind the broken glass.

"J-Jack y-your-"

It was only when Tooth touched Jack's hand that the other realized what set his teacher off. The young boy retracted his hand, hiding it from view as he covered his mouth. "Miss Tooth, I think you should go get a nurse. I don't want you and Sandy to get hurt by the broken glass."

"B-But-" However it was Sandy who stopped the teacher from talking as he went towards her and grabbed her by the hand to drag her towards the door to help her look for the nurse. When the two were gone, Jack looked down at his hands.

Small and pale hands shook at the ruby painted skin before him.

* * *

"The woman who comes to visit you, is she your mother?" North asked Jack. He was a worker hired by the hospital to keep the children happy, but for the past few weeks, the old Santa cosplayer had a soft spot for one of the children who was unsurprisingly, Jack.

"No, she's my teacher from school." Jack said, he was sitting up, a tired look on his face as he and North conversed. Sandy was off having his annual check up on his throat with Dr. Pitchiner.

"Oh, thought so. She is too young to be mother." North nodded. "But she is very sad after she comes visit you, no? Have you been worrying her, _mal'chik_?"

"I try not to." Jack says with a shake of his head, and his tired brown eyes narrow. "Why?"

North decides it's not wise to tell the young boy of how he sees the woman walk home, crying everyday after visiting Jack. "Eh, I just feel it. In my belly." He says emphasizing it with a pat to his stomach. This gets a laugh out of the lad and North smiles in relief, it's been so hard to make Jack laugh lately. "Have you been keeping up with medicine?"

"Yeah, but I don't think they're working." Jack said as he scratches at his eyes.

"Why not?"

"I feel more tired than before. And my skin's starting to itch." Jack stated as he leaned back with an age-old sigh you weren't supposed to hear from someone so young. "I'm also getting immune to the painkillers."

North's eyebrows crinkled. "What do you need painkillers for?"

"To numb the pain." Jack says unconsciously, not thinking about what he's saying anymore.

"And it is helping, yes?" North asked carefully and Jack turned to the other to give him a wide grin, but it was less brighter than what North was used to.

"Nothing to worry about, North."

* * *

"I notice you have been visiting Mr. Frost as of late, Nicholas." Dr. Pitchiner stated as North entered the quaint office of the doctor. Blue eyes met the golden ones of North's patient, North remembers him going by the name 'Sandy'.

"Yes. Lovely boy, very happy and enthusiastic but very lonely. I merely wish to provide company for him." North grunted as he sat down on the sofa, watching as Pitch checked over his patient expertly.

"Do not get attached Nicholas, you know it is not wise to get attached to the kids here. They are not your sons or grandsons or daughters or granddaughters. You should just do your job and make the kids happy." Pitch said and North could see the patient before the doctor deflating at the words. The other's golden eyes were a bit red, his shoulders slumped as though he carried something heavy. Did Pitch give the poor bloke bad news about his throat?

"I understand Pitch. But Jack is very kind, very nice boy. I try not to get attached but he is a good boy, and I want nothing more than to spend lots of time with him and play with him until he gets better-"

"But what if he doesn't get better?" Pitch interjects and North pauses.

"Excuse me?"

"I asked you, what will you do if he does not get better?" Pitch says as he stops his treatment on Sandy and turns to look at the surprised man.

"Pitchiner, why are you asking this?" North finally manages to gasp out. "You do not usually take such negative views un-unless-" The old man stutters to a stop, blue eyes wide.

"His cancer is at the last stage. How long he'll last, even I'm not sure. I have watched him waste away in front of me, he's barely recognizable now to me and I'm sure to you as well. He's worse off than you know and I can't do anything. And you Nicholas, as well, are powerless so I suggest-"

"Stop." North whispers and Pitchiner looks up to see that the old man has buried his face in his hands, great shoulders heaving. "He has become something like a grandson to me Pitch."

"You should not have gotten attached." The doctor says coolly, he was ignoring Sandy who had succumbed into tears when Pitch had begun talking about Jack's condition.

"You know as well as I, that we _do not_ chose to whom we get attached to. Jack- Jack is just so full of life, always smiling and laughing and- but you tell me he is _dying_? Are you telling me that Pitch? Are you telling me, _my boy_, _mal'chik_, is dying? Right in front of me, he is- he is dying?" North gasped out and he looked up, great big blue eyes teary and wide-eyed.

Pitch nodded. "He is." And North let out a great big cry as Sandy wipes at his eyes.

"But- But there's must be something you- you can do-"

"I am a doctor." Pitch said in a soft tone. "Not a miracle worker."

Silence.

"Why did you tell me this, Pitch?" North asks in a soft tone. "Why _now_?"

"To prepare you for what is about to come. I do not want for you to tear inside as you watch him die like I have." Pitch says as he stands up to get his clipboard.

North looks up, red eyes staring at the tall form of the doctor.

"You care about the boy." North says in a gasp.

"I will not get attached." Pitch says but then he whispers quietly, "But seeing his eyes when he first came to the hospital, I have come to admire the will to fight in those eyes."

"You have done all you could think of-?"

"And more." Pitch says in a slightly harsh tone. "I have driven myself up to the wall in trying to save him. I have called all experts that owe me a debt and they will try to make it before it's too late… But with the way things are, hope is grim, Nicholas."

"It is never too late."

"But the boy has hung on as long as he could." Pitch whispered. "Only pain and suffering is left for him. His mother and his father have given up."

North let out a string of Russian curses and surprise. "His own parents?"

"Yes." Pitch answers and then he added in a soft voice, "So, will you come with me to go and see him, right now?" Pitch asked.

"I-I cannot go see him with a straight face after what you have revealed to me." North said hoarsely. "I have a gift for him but- I- I am afraid I am not strong enough to give it." The old man reaches into his bag and pulled out an old storybook. "I made it for him, it is filled with stories about his characters, _The Adventures of Jack Frost_. It is filled with pranks and laughs… I am sure he will like it."

Pitch pauses as the Russian lumbers up to give him the book.

"You should give it in my stead." North said and Pitch accepts the book with a casual face. The other man's face was weary with age at the news he had just heard. "And thank you for telling me about his condition, Pitch. Even though I am not family and you are not obligated…"

"Someone has to let the people know." Pitch whispered as he tucked the book under his arm. "This will get to him, I assure you."

North nods, blue eyes heavy with grief. "That is all I ask."

* * *

When Pitch enters Jack's room, the first thing he notices is Jack is awake.

The boy is sitting up on his bed, his eyes turned to the window, left open for some odd reason, and the doctor only vaguely wonders if Jack was the one who opened it. But dismisses the thought as he closes the door behind him.

"How are you today, Jack?" He asks in a quiet voice and Jack turns to him. He tries not to flinch at the blank look he gives.

"Worse." He says in a throaty voice before he coughs harshly, covering his mouth. "What are you doing here? Came to take some notes on my condition? I'll tell you right now, it hasn't improved."

"No." The doctor said as he looks at the book in his arms. "Nicholas came to my office. He wanted me to give you this. He had something important to do." He extended his hand towards the boy that turned to him. The young teen took it carefully.

Jack gives him a curious look, tilting his head to the side. He looked more vulnerable, thinner, without the messy brown hair on his head. The cheeks hollow, the eyes dull but inquiring. "Why didn't he give it himself?"

"I told you, he had something important to do." Dr. Pitchiner answers passively.

"You talked to him."

"Yes."

"You told him." It was not a question and Jack looks at him, brown eyes strangely tired. "He knows."

"I do not know what you mean." Pitch says but he flinches in guilt when Jack turns away.

"It's getting dark, it's almost time to sleep again." Jack says instead and Pitch frowns. "I don't feel tired though."

Golden eyes look at the book on Jack's lap. The doctor pulls up a chair, the noise alerting his patient.

"What are you doing?" Jack asks, a frown tugging at his lips.

"I'll stay here until you fall asleep." The dark-haired man crosses his arms.

"So you'll stare at me until I fall asleep. You're like a creepy type of bogeyman." Jack says as he ran his hands through the book on his lap, brown eyes looking down. A smile tugs at his lips, although it was sad. "No offense to Santa, but the art isn't all that good."

"Maybe that artist friend of yours can collaborate with him." Pitch shrugs. Jack looks up startled.

"How do you know about him?"

"The nurses." Was all Pitch said, as he leaned forward and took the book into his hands. Jack watches him suspiciously.

"I'll read to you until you fall asleep." Pitch answers the question in the boy's eyes. "Relax and lay back."

"I can read myself to sleep." Jack protests but Pitch does not heed him and hass already opened the leather bound book.

"Aren't you too old for fairytales?" The doctor asks as he flips the pages, eyes scanning the words quickly.

"Fairytales have happy endings." Jack says quietly. "I like happy endings, so I like fairytales. Wishes only come true in fairytales."

Pitch purses his lips. "They can come true in real life too."

Jack snorts, "If I wish hard enough, right?" He finally laid back against his pillows. "Wishing never got me anywhere."

And Pitch thinks of Jack's sister that died and of Jack's life that was being cut too short. And he thinks that maybe, Jack has a good reason to stop believing in happy endings.

"There was a boy, he did not look older than you but was older than most adults…" Pitch began the story, adapting a soft voice he usually reserved during story times with his daughter. "He is the embodiment of laughter and joy, he is fun and ice personified-"

It goes on like this, this peaceful little moment between doctor and patient. Pitch reads to Jack until he reaches the middle of the medium sized book of folklore. Jack is lying back onto his pillow, eyes half-lidded and drooping as he lets the tale of adventure and happy endings wash over him.

Pitch flips a page, eyes soft as he reads, "-And he looked up to the moon and said-"

"Hey." Jack interrupts, voice thick with sleep. Pitch stops and looks up. "Did he cry?"

"Who cried Jack?" Pitch asks as he slowly closes the book.

"Santa." Jack answers simply, his breathing evening out. "Did he cry when he heard about- about me?"

Pitch look at the thin boy, clothes bigger than him, skin so sickly pale it made him want to flinch. He cannot save this little boy and that chips away at his heart which was filled with compassion for children. "Yes. He did. He cried very loudly, it was very annoying."

Jack startles him with a quiet huff of laughter. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be laughing, but strangely I feel happy." The boy turned to his side, a soft smile stretching the thin and pale lips. "He cared enough to shed tears for someone he barely knew."

Pitch spoke quietly, "Sandy cried too."

Jack nods sleepily. "Yeah, he came earlier. He hugged me and didn't let go for-" Jack yawned. "-for a long, _long_ time."

Pitch nodded, his throat constricting as he placed the book on Jack's bed side. "Go to sleep. You have to go through more tests tomorrow-"

"Hey, doc…" Jack says in a sleepy slur and Pitch listened. "Did Jack Frost have a happy ending in the book?"

Pitch didn't know, but knowing North- "He did. He had the happiest ending of all."

"That's good." Jack closes his eyes and Pitch's heart skipped a bit. The boy had gone quiet. He looks at the heart monitor, the beeping was slow but it was there.

He lets out a breath of relief as he turns to turn on the nightlight, before turning off the lights.

"Goodnight, Jack."

* * *

"Who're you?" A thick accented voice came from behind Pitch as he turned. He fixed the glasses on the bridge of his nose and extended his hand.

"I'm Kozmotis Pitchiner, Jack's doctor. Nice to meet you." He said as the other held his hand in a strong grip before shaking it.

"Oh." Green eyes widened. "You're the ankle-biter's doc! How's he? What'd you call me for? Is there something wrong?"

"I have a privacy contract with all of my patients. It's up to Jack to tell you how he is." The doctor said professionally, and green eyes hardened as he let go of Pitch's hand.

"Then, if yer not gonna tell me about Jack, then what did you call me here for?" The Australian said with a frown.

"I'd like ya to meet someone." Pitchiner said just as the door behind Bunnymund opened. "And here he is, Nicholas hurry up, you're late."

"Sorry, sorry. There was a rush at the workshop! Oh, I see you have guest!" North said but then his eyes widened when blue eyes met green ones. "Aster Bunnymund!"

"North?" Bunny said startled but then he extended his hand as North took it and gave him a hearty clap on the back.

"Good friend! What are you doing here? Finally got called in by the doctor for eating too much chocolate?" North gave him a wink and Bunny rolled his eyes.

"No. I don't know why I'm here actually." Bunny grumbled.

"You know each other." Pitch suddenly intervened, observing the two.

"Yes! He is a good friend of mine! His shop and my shop are good rivals during holidays! I sell toys all year round but I get rush deliveries for Christmas. He gets rush deliveries during Valentines and Easter! But still Christmas brings biggest rush of all!" North said with a loud laugh.

Bunny frowned at him. "Yeh were just lucky that one year and yeh-"

"Enough." Pitch cleared his throat. "I have something for you two to do."

The two raised their eyebrows and exchanged looks.

* * *

"Sandy, stop shoving fruits in my face." Jack frowned as he crossed his arms. His friend had taken to coming to Jack's room everyday, a plate of assorted fruit already washed and sliced, ready for the sick boy.

Sandy frowns as he held up a sketch pad, _Fruits are good for you. I've read about them and I know you haven't been eating a lot lately. At least eat them or they'll go to waste._

Jack rolled his eyes. "I'll just throw them back up."

The golden eyes man's frown deepened. _Eat what you can then._

Jack sighed and held out a hand to take a banana, peeling away its skin before taking a bite. There was silence as he chewed.

"You know, this won't change anything." Jack says into the silence of the room. Golden eyes turned to brown eyes that were looking at pale hands. "I'm still going to die."

Sandy looks at his pad and at the pen in his hands before he began to write slowly. He held it up to Jack who gave the written words a glimpse.

_Have hope._

Jack laughs, "That sounds like some sort of advertisement for a cigarette pack." Sandy gave him a halfhearted smile. The young boy smiles in return. "Anyway, I heard you were learning sign language lately. Can you teach me some?"

Seeing that the boy no longer wanted to talk about his sickness, Sandy caved and nodded as he held up his fingers, teaching Jack the letters via sign language, alternating between his pad and his hands.

And Jack eagerly learns, throwing his fears and worries into the wind.

Because he was only a thirteen, nearly fourteen, year-old child, and that was the only way he knew how to cope.

* * *

**Author's notes: **I'm sorry it took so long. I forgot the e-mail ad and password of my account. After working on it for a few hours, I was finally able to recover my information, although I had to go through several accounts before I finally found the back-up one.

Thanks for tuning in and thank you to **Inumaru12 **for the prompt and also to Lady Minuialwen for her private message!

And yes, there's a cigarette pack called _Hope _in our country O. O

Also, I haven't decided on what sort of cancer Jack should have. I haven't been confined in a hospital so I'm sorry if I'm not good a describing the whole hospital stay.

'I am a doctor, not a miracle worker' This line seems familiar to me and I don't know why.

Thank you!


End file.
